Essential information for all Postgraduate degree students

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Coventry University’s postgraduate degrees are designed within a common modular framework and are governed by the University’s Academic Regulations. There are also General Regulations that cover general procedures and codes of conduct and issues such as health and safety.

The Academic and General Regulations are available on the Registry section on the University’s Student Portal http://www.coventry.ac.uk/life-on-campus/the-university/key-information/registry/academic-regulations These notes outline the main features of the regulations and provide guidance on the areas listed below. It is very important that you read them and continue to revisit them and understand your responsibilities during the course of your studies.

A The modular frameworkB AttendanceC Changes to your individual programme of studyD Coursework assignmentsE Academic dishonestyF Plagiarism and how to avoid it: Citing sources and referencing in your academic writingG Disciplinary procedureH ExaminationsI What to do if you experience illness or other circumstances that affect your studies/examsJ Assessment boards, reassessment and resultsK Awards and classificationsL Reviews and appealsM How to make a complaintN Important Finance Information and Fee ImplicationsO Data protection and consent to process information

You should consult your student/course handbook, programme specification and module guides relevant to your course (which can be found on your course Moodle course webs) which contain important information on the structure and specific requirements of your course and modules. You must read these documents, familiarise yourself with the information, and refer to it throughout your studies, especially when sitting exams and preparing coursework assignments. Failure to consult this information will not constitute an acceptable defence in a case of your failure to comply with these requirements.

In the event that there is an IT system failure and there is no or only limited access to the Coventry University website, latest information and notifications, for example in relation to changes regarding examination schedules in the event of extreme weather conditions, can be found on the University Twitter feeds and Facebook site. By enrolling at the University, you accept and agree to abide by the University’s Academic and General Regulations, codes of conduct and other provisions, and accept your responsibilities as a student. You also accept liability to pay fees at the appropriate level and by the due date.You must be aware that the University has Disciplinary Procedures to regulate student behaviour and ensure that student disciplinary matters are dealt with fairly and promptly. You should consult Appendix 7 of the University’s General Regulations which provide details of the Disciplinary Procedures and the specified power under these procedures (which can range from permanent exclusion to written warnings and financial charges).

PLEASE NOTE: All official e-correspondence from the University will be sent to your University email account. Guidance on how to access this account is available from the IT Services section on the University’s Student Portal (https://cuportal.coventry.ac.uk), or go to https://webmail.coventry.ac.uk.

You are required to check your University e-mail inbox on a regular basis. Failure to do so will not be an acceptable defence if you fail to comply with requirements. The University does not offer a forwarding service to personal e-mail accounts. Please note that if you have had this facility set up in the past, it will no longer work.

If you provide documentary information for the purposes of any University procedure (e.g. third party evidence for a deferral) and, the original document is not in English, it must be accompanied by a certified translation. It is your responsibility to provide a certified translation, not that of the University.

If you are an international student, you are required to go to the notified checkpoints and present your ID card and associated documents when requested, in order to meet the requirements of the Home Office. Failure to do so may put your visa at risk.

A The modular framework

.1 Module levels and credits

Your course handbook/programme specification will give you full details of the requirements for each award. The credit rating for all modules is calculated according to total student effort expected for successful completion. One credit normally represents 10 hours of total effort. Total effort includes lectures, tutorials, seminars, presentations, guided and independent study, coursework, preparation for presentations and seminars, and exam revision.

Under the current curriculum framework 120 credits are required for the postgraduate diploma and a further 60 credits for the Masters award (180 total).

.2 Module Status

Your course will be made up of modules. The modules are described by the University in the following way:

Mandatory – these are a compulsory part of your course.

Option – these are selected from restricted lists defined from your course.

Any module may have pre-requisites (e.g. prior successful completion of another module) or co-requisites (when you have to study a specific module at the same time as the one chosen or specified).

All modules must be passed to achieve your award.

.3 The Module Information Directory (MID), Module Descriptors and Programme Specification

Details of most of the modules being offered during the academic year can be found on the Module Information Directory (http://mid.coventry.ac.uk) or via the Registry section on the University’s Student Portal (https://cuportal.coventry.ac.uk). The module descriptor sets out the aims and intended learning outcomes of the module, the indicative content, method of assessment, essential and recommended reading and other information.

.4 Timetabling

If you are a full-time student you can expect to complete a postgraduate diploma in a minimum of two taught blocks and a Master’s degree in one calendar year. For part-time students the minimum is one calendar year for the postgraduate diploma and two calendar years for the Master’s degree.

B Attendance

.1 Attendance Requirements and Attendance Monitoring

You are expected to attend the classes for which you are enrolled punctually and regularly, and it is your personal responsibility to ensure that you do so. You must meet all attendance requirements as specified for individual modules or as specified for your course overall. Monitoring of attendance may therefore take place at any point during your enrolment period and the use of academic facilities (e.g. the Library, Moodle) may also be monitored for this purpose. Furthermore, any mode of attendance may be subject to monitoring (e.g. performance, tutorials, lectures, workshops, phase tests, oral exams, OSCEs, practical’s etc.)

If you are an international student who has a Tier 4 visa, you must meet the requirements of your Tier 4 sponsorship with the University who is your sponsor for the duration of your enrolment on your course. You have specific and required responsibilities as outlined by the Home Office Tier 4 guidelines (see https://students.coventry.ac.uk/Registry/Pages/UKBAAttendanceMonitoring.aspx).

You should note that certain external agencies have the right to request information on your attendance (e.g. Student Loans Company, sponsoring bodies, professional bodies, Home Office).

As a Tier 4 student you must report any absence to the Faculty Registry and you must not leave the UK or the University without notifying your Faculty Registry or the Tier 4 Compliance Team - https://students.coventry.ac.uk/Registry/Pages/tier4team.aspx.

Please be aware that for ALL Coventry University students the consequences of failing to adhere to the University’s attendance requirements are serious. The full policy can be found at on the Registry section on the University’s Student Portal (https://students.coventry.ac.uk/Registry/Pages/UKBAAttendanceMonitoring.aspx )

.2 Status verification letters

Letters to confirm your enrolment and for the purposes of Council Tax, Visa extension etc. can be obtained from Nova.

C Changes to your individual programme of study You are expected to finalise your choice of modules by the end of the first week of your course. However, you may make changes to your module selection (if option modules are offered on your course, and if there is spare capacity on the modules concerned) up until the Monday of the third week of teaching. If you wish to make any changes, it is essential that you discuss them with your course and/or module tutor as soon as possible. The University's Careers Service may also be able to provide valuable information and guidance to help you with your decision. In the event that a change is agreed, your tutor will complete a Module Change Registration form and ask you to sign it. This is then processed to amend our records to show your new programme of study. Please check your programme of study on SOLAR to ensure these changes have been made.

If you wish to change your module selection after the Monday of the third week of teaching, your only option is to withdraw from your course or reduce your programme by withdrawing from a particular module or modules. Please note that changing from full-time to part-time status will have funding and visa implications. You may, however, only withdraw from modules before the date of the first assessment.

If you just stop attending a module and do not withdraw officially, you will be recorded as ‘absent’ and the module will show as a ‘fail’ on your results. That fail will appear on your final transcript and you will not be eligible for a re-sit for that module.

You must ensure that your course details are correct in our records by the Monday of the third week of teaching. This should be done via the ‘Student On-line Academic Record’ system (SOLAR) which you can access via the Student Portal (https://cuportal.coventry.ac.uk). Any errors after this date may cause problems with the scheduling of your examinations and the processing of your results.

You must ensure that you keep your contact details including address and telephone number up to date at all times throughout the year. You can do this via Solar.

If you wish to change your mode of attendance from full-time to part-time, or vice versa, then you must notify your Faculty Registry Team immediately. If such a change is approved, it is normally only effective from the date of notification to the Faculty Registry Team.

If you decide to withdraw from the whole course, you must discuss this with your course tutor or course director. There are clearly defined procedures that need to be followed. Failure to comply with these may have serious implications for the amount you will have to pay for your tuition fees and your student loan. You will also still be liable for your accommodation costs. Please see the University's withdrawal booklet for further information, available from the Registry section on the University’s Student Portal (https://cuportal.coventry.ac.uk).

D Coursework assignments

The term ‘coursework’ is used to describe any type of assessed work that falls outside of the examination periods which take place at the end of each teaching block. This may include essays, dissertations/projects, presentations, artefacts, laboratory/studio work, locally arranged phase tests etc.

You are required to attempt all assessed aspects of your course at the first opportunity. If you don’t and you do not have a valid deferral (a process that a student must follow in advance to gain permission to defer their assessment due to extenuating circumstances) you will not be allowed a re-sit attempt. Please see the ‘Make your Mark’ page on the University’s Student Portal (https://students.coventry.ac.uk/Registry/Pages/MakeYourMark.aspx).

EthicsIt is a requirement for all students and staff conducting research to gain ethical approval before conducting their research. All research proposals need to be subject to the University’s Ethical Approval process (before any research is conducted) via the University’s online application and approval system. Please consult your course handbook for specific instruction about what you need to do.

There are standard procedures for handing-in your coursework, applying for an extension to the deadline or requesting deferral of assessment. You will be required to submit written work via Turnitin. Turnitin is a service that helps both lecturers and students to check if a piece of coursework contains sections that are identical to work submitted or published elsewhere.

Penalties may be applied for exceeding any word limit set. Your tutor will advise you whether any word limit is a guideline, or whether your ability to write within the word limit is actually part of the assessment of the piece of work concerned. If the limit set is a maximum, or a minimum, then a penalty of 10% of the mark for that piece of work will be applied to those pieces of work that exceed, or are below, the requirement by 10% or more.

You will need to access the ‘My Assessments’ area in NOVA to obtain details of your submissions for the entire year.  You will need to print off a pre-completed coversheet, containing programme and submission details from NOVA (a web application which allows students to check their assessments and to print their cover sheets.  For group submissions, a group leader and group member coversheet will be available; online submissions will be submitted through the normal process, detailed in your module guide which you will get from your course team or via Moodle.

You must ensure that you manage your time to meet coursework submission deadlines. Work submitted after the deadline will receive a mark of 0%.

Should unforeseen circumstances arise, before the due date of the work, then you may apply for an extension to the submission deadline of up to two calendar weeks.

Extensions can only be given for genuine extenuating circumstances and medical reasons, not for bad planning of your time. Theft, loss of coursework or failure to keep back-up files are not valid reasons.

You must use the appropriate application form to request an extension. This is available from the Student Portal, the relevant Faculty Registry office or from the Registry section on the University’s Student Portal. This form must be accompanied by original, supporting, third-party documentary evidence in all cases (photocopies are not acceptable). This evidence should take the form of a doctor’s note or some other official documentation (e.g. Mental Health Advisor’s report).

The completed documentation must be handed in before the due date of the assessment. Your request will be considered and if it is accepted you will be given a new date by which you must complete and hand-in your work.It is not possible to apply for a second extension for the same piece of work (beyond the maximum extension period).

See section I for appeal procedure against the rejection of an extension application

If you submit an assessed piece of work late, without an authorised extension, you will receive a mark of 0% for that piece of work. You will however be eligible for a re-sit attempt at the next available assessment opportunity.

Marked work will be returned to you with feedback, indicating the strengths and weaknesses of your assignment. The marking of all assessed coursework tasks is subject to internal moderation. Some written assignments, projects, dissertations etc. are always double-marked. For other assessments, only a sample of work across a range of marks will be subject to the internal moderation process. There may be written comments on some of your assessed work which indicates that it has been included in the moderated sample.

E Academic dishonesty

Academic dishonesty covers any attempt by a student to gain unfair advantage (e.g. extra marks) for her/himself, or for another student, by unauthorised means. Examples of such dishonesty include collusion, falsification, deceit, plagiarism and cheating in examinations.

Collusion includes the conscious collaboration, without official approval, between two or more students, or between a student(s) and another person, in the preparation and production of work which is then submitted as individual work. In cases where one (or more) student has copied from another, both (all) students involved may be penalised. The boundary between legitimate co-operation and unacceptable collusion varies according to the type of work involved. Staff setting the assessment exercise will issue clear guidance on how much co-operation is acceptable.

Falsification includes the presentation of fictitious or deliberately distorted data in, for example, laboratory work, surveys or projects. This also includes citing references that do not exist.

Deceit includes the misrepresentation or non-disclosure of relevant information, including the failure to disclose any cases of work being submitted for assessment which has been or will be used for other academic purposes.

Plagiarism is the act of using other people's words, images etc. as if they were your own. In order to make clear to readers the distinction between your words, images etc. and the work of others, it is essential that you reference your work accurately, (see section F below), thereby avoiding a charge of plagiarism. It is always obvious when a student has copied words from a text without referencing, as there is a change of writing style each time. If you do not reference your work correctly, it will come across as if you have 'stolen' words or ideas from other sources. Module leaders use computer software to check students’ work for potential plagiarism or improper citation.

Self-Plagiarism is the re-use of significant, identical, or nearly identical portions of your own work without acknowledging that you are doing so or without citing the original work, and without the written authorisation of the module leader.

Re-presentation is the submission of work presented previously or simultaneously for assessment at this or any other institution, unless authorised in writing by the module leader and cited appropriately.

Cheating is any attempt to gain an unfair advantage in an assessment (including examinations), or assisting another student to do so. It includes: taking unauthorised materials into examinations, copying from other candidates, collusion, impersonation, plagiarism, and unauthorised access to unseen examination papers. In the event of an allegation of cheating you are advised to contact the Student Union Advice Centre immediately after the incident.

It is in the best interest of all students, for the University to maintain the good reputation of its awards. Your co-operation is expected in actively protecting the integrity of the assessment process. It is the duty of all students to observe high personal standards of academic honesty in their studies and to report any instances of malpractice of which they become aware without fail.

The maximum penalty for a proven case of academic dishonesty is expulsion from the University. Should academic dishonesty be proven after graduation the graduate will have their award(s) rescinded.Allegations of misconduct will be investigated under the University’s Academic Conduct procedures as outlined within Appendix 1 of the General Regulations (which could include a viva voce in relation to the assessment(s) under scrutiny).

F Plagiarism and how to avoid it: citing sources and referencing in your academic writing

Gathering information from a variety of sources forms an essential part of most academic writing, and it is important that you reference these sources in the required style. All writers borrow material from other sources at some time, including ideas, information, images, charts, graphs, and statistics. Whenever you use information from other sources you must document the source in two ways:

provide an in-text citation of the source in the main body of your writing; enter the source in the List of References at the end of your document.

You must cite and reference every piece of information that you borrow from another source because it is the intellectual property of the individuals or groups of people who have produced it. All statements, opinions, conclusions, images, etc. which you have taken from someone else’s work (books, journals, lectures, videos, TV programmes, newspapers, internet pages, etc.) should be acknowledged, whether the work is mentioned, described, reproduced, summarised, paraphrased or directly quoted by you. If the source is produced by an organisation or an official body instead of authors, this is known as a ‘corporate author’ and must be treated in the same way. For example,

most websites are produced by a corporate author. This also applies to such organisations that write essays, devise IT coding etc. Please note that the University reserves the right to require a student to attend a viva voce examination in relation to the submission of written work, if deemed appropriate.

Why cite and reference?

Good referencing practice makes your writing scholarly and authoritative. It demonstrates that you have researched your topic well, and shows your ability to adhere to academic standards.

Good referencing practice displays intellectual honesty because the reader can see which elements of the writing are original, and which are borrowed. Clear in-text citations and a full List of References help a marker to credit originality in your work.

Good referencing practice allows your readers to locate and consult the sources you have used and enables you to go back to consult sources you have used in previous papers you have written.

Poor referencing practice means that your writing is not founded upon clear evidence, so it is hard to persuade your reader that your arguments are well-founded. Also be aware that the quality of your in-text citations and List of References is taken into account when assignments are marked.

Poor referencing practice can give an impression of intellectual dishonesty because it is unclear to readers which information has been borrowed from another source. In the worst case this is plagiarism (see section D above), which means presenting someone else’s work as your own. Plagiarism can be accidental or intentional. You will be penalised for plagiarism of either sort at Coventry University.

The Coventry University Harvard Reference Style is Coventry University’s recommended format for documenting the sources you use in your academic writing. Some tutors and subject groups may require you to use an alternative referencing style. If you are unsure, ask your module tutor. It is your responsibility to find out whether your tutor requires you to use a different referencing style.Full guidance on using the Coventry University Harvard Reference Style is available from the Academic Support section on the University’s Student Portal (https://cuportal.coventry.ac.uk).

For more information please contact the Centre for Academic Writing (writing.caw@coventry.ac.uk)

Please note that all students who use a proof-reader, should retain a copy of their original own version. This should be submitted on request to their Module Leader or an ACO, in case there was any doubt that more than the permitted amount of help has been given.

G Disciplinary procedure

Students are expected to behave appropriately at all times and any student who behaves inappropriately (called an ‘act of misconduct’) will be dealt with under the Student Disciplinary Procedures (Please refer to Appendix 7 of the General Regulations for the full procedure).

An act of misconduct, will include, but not be limited to, failure to observe all University rules and regulations including local regulations and codes of conduct in relation to the academic Faculties and Centres, Professional Services and University Residences. The essence of misconduct under this code is improper conduct or improper interference, in the broadest sense, with the proper functioning or activities of the University, or those who work or study in the University. It also includes conduct which otherwise damages the University. This applies to behaviour in the University, and extends to all buildings and grounds belonging to or leased by or to the University, including residences and accommodation (the Licence to Occupy relates) and sporting facilities. It also applies to acts of misconduct committed outside the University, when a student is away in a University context (for example on placement, field trips or study abroad programmes), or when it is found that there is some link to the University or its reputation.

Examples of misconduct may include the following:

(a) disruption of, or improper interference with the academic, administrative, sporting or other social activities of the University, whether on University premises or elsewhere;

(b) obstruction of, or improper interference with, the functions, duties or activities of any student, member of staff or other employee of the University or any authorised visitor;

(c) assault;(d) threatening behaviour;(e) damage to, or defacement of University property or the property of other members of the

University community caused intentionally or recklessly, misappropriation of such property or assisting/permitting others to do so;

(f) misuse or unauthorised use of University property or premises;(g) theft on University premises;(h) fighting on University premises;(i) conduct which constitutes a criminal offence where the conduct:

involves other students directly or indirectly; took place on University premises; affects the interests of the University; affects or concerns other members of the University community; damages the good name of the University; is an offence of dishonesty, where the student holds an office of responsibility in the

University;(j) sexual harassment;(k) racist activity or behaviour;(l) misappropriation or misuse of University funds or assets;(m) abusive or unreasonable behaviour;(n) behaviour which causes fear or distress to others;(o) behaviour which interferes with the legitimate freedom of speech, ideas, actions or enquiry of

other students or members of staff or which disrupts or interferes with University processes and procedures;

(p) a serious breach of University Regulations, code of conduct or codes of practice (the specific regulation or code breached must be identified);

(q) any action likely to cause injury to any person or impairing the safety of the premises;(r) attempts to subvert University procedures by means of fraudulent claims or documents;(s) conduct, either on campus or off campus, which brings the University into disrepute;(t) failure to disclose name and other relevant details to an officer or employee of the University

in circumstances when it is reasonable to require that such information to be given;(u) false pretences or impersonation in connection with admission, academic attainments or

financial awards; (v) throwing objects from University premises.

(The above list is not intended to be exhaustive)Where an offence has occurred a charge, as detailed in the table below, can be imposed:

Anti-social Behaviour ChargeFailure to abate noise after an instruction to do so £20 - £40Verbally abusive or offensive conduct £30 - £50Throwing objects from windows £50 - £75Breach of University Smoking Policy £30 - £50General nuisance (e.g. drunken disorder, and general disturbance to other users of the facility) £20 - £40

Substance Misuse ChargePossession of an illegal substance £60 - £80Breaches of Fire Safety ChargeActivating a smoke or heat detector without due care £30 - £50Failure to evacuate a building due to an alarm £30 - £50Activation of a fire alarm call point accidently £30 - £50Activation of a fire alarm call point deliberately without due cause £75-£100

Action leading to the attendance of the Fire Brigade £75 - £100Interfering with smoke/heat detectors £75 - £100Propping open a fire door or obstructing fire exits £75 - £100Discharging a fire extinguisher without due cause £100 - £115Academic Misconduct (excluding examinations and assessments) Charge

Copyright infringement and distributing copyrighted materials £75-£100Fraudulent behaviour (eg: signing on behalf of another student, giving false third party evidence) £100-£115

Inappropriate behaviour in lectures £75-£100Inappropriate postings on the web, Moodle, blogs, etc £75-£100Inappropriate or abusive behaviour towards University staff £75-£100

(This list is not exhaustive).

This is in addition to other outcomes such as a Written Warning, a written undertaking as to a student’s future conduct etc. You are strongly encouraged to refer to Appendix 7 of the General Regulations to ensure you are familiar with the full procedure as well as Appendix 2 of the General Regulations which refers to the Code of Conduct.

H Examinations

You are required to attempt all assessed aspects of your course at the first opportunity. If you don’t and you do not have a valid deferral you will not be allowed a re-sit. Please see the ‘Make your Mark’ page on the University’s Student Portal (https://students.coventry.ac.uk/Registry/Pages/MakeYourMark.aspx).

Full details of the regulations that govern the examination process are available in the General Regulations, which are available on the internet. It is very important that you are fully aware of these Regulations and that you follow them at all times. Appendix 1 of the General Regulations covers all aspects of the examination process, including general conduct before and during the examination and the procedures for dealing with cases of academic dishonesty. Policy statements on the use of calculators and dictionaries in examinations are given in Appendices 8 and 9 of the General Regulations.

Please ensure that you always take your Student ID card to each examination. Failure to do so will prevent you from being able to take your examination.

The main examination periods normally take place at the end of each block of teaching, however many exams take place at other times as well (your course tutor will advise you if your exams have a different schedule). Please refer to https://students.coventry.ac.uk/Registry/Pages/Home.aspx for information regarding the examination periods relevant to your course. Re-sit examinations will normally take place during the next examination period. It is essential that you do not book holidays or make any other commitments during these periods, or during any other assessment or re-assessment period as advised by your course and module tutors.

The examination timetable is not closely linked to the teaching timetable and you may find that you have two or more examinations on the same day (including evenings), or on a Saturday (both morning and evening). The timetable for each examination period may be accessed via the Registry section on the University’s Student Portal (https://cuportal.coventry.ac.uk) as it becomes available. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have the correct information regarding the timetable for your modules as misreading the timetable is not accepted as a valid reason for missing an examination.

You should always arrive in plenty of time for your examinations, as you may not be permitted to start late.

If you do arrive late and are allowed to start, you will not be permitted extra time at the end of the examination to compensate for your late arrival.

The invigilator will explain the procedures for the examination and will be available to answer any queries you may have.

You should always ensure that you have the correct exam paper.

If your first language is not English, you may use a bilingual dictionary for the first 15 minutes of the examination, to ensure you understand the questions, after which it will be removed by the invigilator for collection by you after the examination.

Programmable calculators and portable computers are not permitted in the exam room and will be confiscated.

At the end of the examination you must remain silent, and not leave your seat until an invigilator has collected your script.

Exam room etiquette

You are not permitted to take anything into the examination room that could aid cheating; this includes notes, bags, heavy clothing, programmable calculators, computers, mobile telephones, pencil cases and audio equipment. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and if you are unclear about what you can bring into the room, please check with the invigilator.

You may not eat, drink or smoke during examinations, however, sweets and soft drinks are permitted in moderation.

You should note that there have been thefts of personal possessions from students’ bags left at the back of examination halls. You are advised that all valuable items (e.g. mobile phones, credit cards, purses, etc.) should not be brought to examinations.

The University cannot in any circumstances accept responsibility for the loss of private property left or lost on University premises.

Mobile telephones and equipment with telephone communication facilities (including watches with additional functionality), must not be brought into any examination room whether switched off or not.

If a candidate is wearing unusually bulky clothing and/or head apparel they may be visually inspected to ensure that no unauthorised materials are concealed on them (e.g. headphones). If necessary, a student may be required to accompany an appropriate invigilator to a private area to sufficiently allow any such inspections to be undertaken.

Candidates who are found to have with them any unauthorised materials will be deemed to be cheating and will fail that examination.

Special examination conditions/sheltered conditions

If you need special examination conditions due to illness, disability (physical or sensory) or for religious reasons, you must inform the University’s Welfare & Disabilities Office well in advance of the examination period. The deadlines for special conditions requests are 28 November 2014 for exams during the January assessment period, 27 March 2015 for exams during the May assessment period and mid-June for exams during the July assessment period. If your examination is outside these periods please contact the Welfare & Disabilities Office at least one month in advance of the scheduled date.

Contact for the Welfare Office: 024 7765 8029 welfare.ss@coventry.ac.uk, Health & Wellbeing – TheHub (2nd floor)

Contact for the Disabilities Office: 024 7765 8029 disoff.ss@coventry.ac.uk, Health & Wellbeing – TheHub (2nd floor) If there is a fire alarm or other emergency during the examination, please leave the room calmly and quietly. You should not take anything with you and must not talk to other students. If there is any talking during an alarm the exam may be declared void and another assessment will then be carried out at a later date. If you do not adhere to these rules you may be accused of cheating and appropriate penalties may be applied.

IT system failure and/or extreme weather conditionsIn the event that there is an IT system failure and there is no or limited access to the Coventry University website, latest information and notifications, for example in relation to changes regarding examination schedules in the event of extreme weather conditions, can be found on the University’s Twitter feeds and Facebook site.

I What to do if you experience illness or other circumstances that affect your studies/exams

If you are unwell and feel that the illness is affecting your ability to complete work or attend an examination, you should make an appointment to see your doctor and obtain certified evidence (e.g. medical certificate, doctor’s note etc.). This is a requirement of the procedures.

If illness or other circumstances affect your ability to meet a deadline for handing in assessed coursework or your ability to sit an examination, you should consult the detailed guidance on the procedures for dealing with extenuating circumstances. These may be accessed from the Registry section on the University’s Student Portal (https://cuportal.coventry.ac.uk).

In brief, these procedures allow you to request:

a) an extension of a coursework deadline (up to a maximum of two weeks from the original submission deadline);

b) a deferral of assessment for a coursework or an examination.

All such requests must be submitted before the hand-in date of the coursework or the date of the examination and they must be accompanied by appropriate third-party evidence. Original copies of the evidence should be submitted (photocopies are not normally accepted) and all documents from medical practitioners must have a genuine practice stamp imprinted to confirm authenticity. It is not possible to accept retrospective evidence or late requests.

The handing-in of a coursework assignment or attendance at an examination will be regarded as a declaration that you were fit for the assessment and no subsequent claims for extenuating circumstances regarding that assessment will be accepted.

Requests for deferral of an assessment will be considered by an authorising officer in the Faculty in which you are enrolled.

You may appeal against the rejection of an extension application within 5 working days and against the rejection of a deferral application within 7 working days of the rejection, if you have significant new evidence relating to the initial request which was not considered with the original application or if you have a specific allegation of irregularity regarding the conduct of the approval process. Full information on the criteria which the new evidence must fulfil can be found in Appendix 3 of the Academic Regulations: http://www.coventry.ac.uk/life-on-campus/the-university/key-information/registry/academic-regulations/?theme=main

J Assessment boards, reassessment and results

After each examination period your results will be considered and your academic position reviewed. This is done at two levels: at a Subject Assessment Board (SAB) and at a Programme Assessment Board (PAB). The results for each module are considered at a SAB that determines whether the components of the module assessment reach the required standard. A SAB has the power to raise or lower marks for all students taking the module if it considers it to be appropriate. The final mark recorded for your coursework, for example, may differ from the marks that you have received during the year.

A PAB considers the results of each student on a particular course and makes decisions on progression and awards. Results remain unofficial and subject to change until confirmed by a PAB.

External examiners (impartial subject experts from outside the University) are associated with each SAB and PAB. They attend these meetings and will consider a sample of students’ work undertaken as well as teaching material and other documentation which has supported the teaching of a module. This is part of a national system that ensures that standards are comparable across all UK universities.

After SABs have ratified the marks for all the modules and your PAB has reached a decision about you regarding your progression on a course or your final award, your results will be released via the Student On-line Academic Record system (SOLAR) and you will receive an e-mail notifying you of this release to your University e-mail account. Only final year students or students exiting the course will be sent results notification letters.

If you do not pass all your modules and you have made an attempt at all assessed aspects of your work at the first opportunity, the Programme Assessment Board will permit you to be re-assessed.

Under the regulations that currently govern the Postgraduate Curriculum Framework, if you do not pass all of your modules, the PAB will determine whether you may be reassessed by either resitting the assessment without re-enrolment on the module, or by repeating the whole of the module with a new enrolment (which may be essential if it involves group, laboratory or studio work). If you are eligible for a resit, you will be entered automatically for the resit(s) at the next available opportunity.

Re-assessment by resit is restricted to one attempt. This must normally be completed within the resit period associated with the academic session in which the module was studied and failed.If you do not succeed in redeeming the failure(s) via re-sit, the Programme Assessment Board may use its discretion to allow you to repeat the module(s) at the next available opportunity. Repeating one or more modules requires you to attend the module(s) again i.e. you will have to re-enrol and it may take you longer to complete your studies. One further re-assessment attempt is associated with a repeat attempt.

Where a module is repeated, complete reassessment in all components is required. Original marks are not taken forward to combine with repeat marks.

The overall module mark for a repeat attempt module will be capped at 40%.

There is a University commitment to provide results to students on Moodle in advance of results being ratified and released formally via SOLAR. Therefore, any results that are provided by this mechanism will be unratified and remain provisional until they are ratified by the Programme Assessment Board and released for you to view on SOLAR.

Quick guide to attempts permitted

First attempt

o If submitted/examination taken, and failed, automatic resit (without attendance) permitted.

o If no submission made or examination not sat, recorded as ‘absent’ and no resit permitted.

o If you submit your Masters dissertation, but fail your first attempt, it is at the PAB’s discretion to permit (or not) a resit attempt.

Resit attempto If pass, module capped at 40% or original module mark retained if higher.o If fail a submission, PAB has discretion to consider a repeat attempt (with

attendance).o If fail without a submission, PAB may terminate studies or may consider a repeat.o If you fail the resit of the Masters dissertation, there is NO PERMISSION to repeat

under Coventry University Regulations.

Repeat attempto If pass, module retaken in its entirety and capped at 40% - all previous marks set

aside.o If fail with a submission, automatic resit permitted.o If fail with no submission, PAB likely to terminate studies; you will not be able to

obtain the award enrolled upon.o Please note that Coventry University Regulations do NOT PERMIT you to repeat your

Masters dissertation. Final resit attempt

o If pass, module capped at 40%o If fail, with or without a submission, PAB may terminate studies or inform you that you

will not achieve the award enrolled upon.

Where a student is in resit position for an exam, they can request a copy of their marked exam script for feedback on the areas in which they may have failed in at the previous attempt. EC students do this by following this link to an online store where you can order and pay to have copies of marked exam scripts emailed to you.

K Awards and classifications

Awards of Master’s, Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate may be made with Merit or Distinction. Thresholds for merit and distinction are normally 60% and 70%. Please check your course handbook/programme specification for information on how the classification is calculated.

If you have passed enough modules to be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma, but intend to proceed to the next stage of your programme, you are normally not entitled to receive a certificate, or attend an awards ceremony, at that time. An award is only made when you have completed your programme of study and you have informed the University of your decision.

L Reviews and appeals

If you wish to request a review of a Programme Assessment Board decision, you must put your case in writing and provide full supporting documentation stating your grounds as to why you are requesting a review. You should then send your request to ArgAppeals.reg@coventry.ac.uk within 10 working days of the receipt of the official notification of your results.

Please note that if you disagree with the academic judgement of an Assessment Board about how it has assessed the merits of an individual piece of your work or about how it has reached a decision on your progression or on your final grade of an award, this will not constitute valid reasons for requesting a review. Furthermore, any alleged inadequacy of supervision or in other arrangements

during a period of registration as a Coventry University student is not an acceptable reason to ask for a review and, if taken forward, would be dealt with as a complaint.

The full details of how to request a review or appeal following the publication of your results is available in the Academic Regulations, Appendix 2. The Regulations are available on the Registry section of the University’s Student Portal (https://cuportal.coventry.ac.uk), and a Frequently Asked Questions guide is also available on these pages.

Please note that if you have submitted a request for a review of your results or if any subsequent appeal is still in progress, you should consider carefully before accepting your award/attending an Award Ceremony, as acceptance/attendance will indicate agreement with the award.  You would therefore not be entitled to continue with your review or appeal.

M How to make a complaint

While we strive to ensure that our students and staff create a positive and responsible community, there may be occasions when you wish to raise issues and concerns that affect you.

You should always try to resolve any issues that you have informally within your Faculty, before pursuing the formal procedure (as outlined in Appendix 10). The relevant staff in the Faculty (be it your tutor, the Course Director, Head of Department or an administrator) or department should be able to help you resolve the majority of problems or concerns.

However, should you need to or desire to proceed with a formal complaint, the University’s complaints procedure is outlined in Appendix 10 of the General Regulations: http://www.coventry.ac.uk/life-on-campus/the-university/key-information/registry/general-regulations/?theme=main

It is important for you to note that the Complaints Procedure does not apply to complaints about academic marks/grades/awards. Please see section L above which refers to Appendix 2 of the Academic Regulations and the grounds upon which to request a review, if this is appropriate.

There are two stages to the complaints procedure:

a) Stage 1 is the first stage, which is dealt with by the Faculty or department concerned. Complaints should be submitted to complaints.reg@coventry.ac.uk using the proforma available on the Student Portal: https://staff.coventry.ac.uk/sites/adhoc/complaints/default.aspx

b) Stage 2: if you are unhappy with the outcome of your stage 1 complaint, you may appeal the outcome via the Vice-Chancellor’s office using the complaints.reg@coventry.ac.uk email address.

N Important finance information and fee implications

During enrolment, full-time students who pay full annual course fees will receive a 5% discount on tuition fees. Discounts apply only to those students starting in September 2014 pay before 13 th October 2014. Full-time students enrolling from January 2015 must pay before 2nd February 2015 for a 5% discount. Full-time students enrolling from May 2015 must pay before 24th May 2015 for a 5% discount. Please note there are no early payment discounts or alumni discounts for students embarking on a part-time route.

Enrolment on to a course has immediate cost implications and cancellation of study must be verified via the University withdrawal process and you will be charged a proportion of the annual course fees. Please contact your Faculty Registry team immediately if you are thinking of withdrawing from your studies.

Outstanding tuition fees will be chased via the University’s debt collecting procedures by issuing regular warning, blocking and exclusion letters. Students who have not spoken to a member of

Finance and who still have outstanding tuition fees by the end of their first semester may be excluded and subsequently withdrawn.

Please refer to the Finance page on the Student Portal for the Terms and Conditions, Refund Withdrawal Policy. (https://students.coventry.ac.uk/Finance/Pages/Home.aspx)

O Data protection and consent to process information

Fair processing statement - Data Protection Act 1998Coventry University will process your personal data:

1. for any purposes connected with your studies;2. in connection with the supply of services or goods;3. for your health and safety whilst on University premises;4. to inform you about further study opportunities;5. to provide Alumni services and to raise funds;6. and for any other legitimate reason. 

Processing may include but will not be limited to compilation of data regarding your attendance at the University.  Information about you may be disclosed to other bodies as required by law (including information about your post university work or study situation), for crime prevention or detection purposes, or in order to comply with our obligations as a sponsor of migrants licensed by the Home Office and any successor to it.  Disclosures will also be made by the University as outlined below:

your personal data may be processed outside of the European Economic Areas (‘EEA’); if your personal data is transferred outside of the EEA by the University it, will endeavour to

ensure that appropriate contractual provision covering use, disclosure and security are in place;

your personal data will be retained in accordance with the University’s Retention Policy.

Disclosure of Personal DataThe University may disclose your personal data:

(a) to government departments and agencies (including but not limited to the Home Office, Child Support Agency, Strategic Health Authorities), information sharing partners and present/potential employers and the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA); further information about the uses for which HESA processes personal data can be found on the HESA website at http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/view/131/180/1/1 Your contact details may also be passed to the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) or its agents for the purpose of administering the national student survey, and to the University's agents for the purpose of administering its own surveys. Some surveys will involve contacting you after you have left the University;

(b) to Coventry University Students' Union to enable the Union to issue your NUS card, return lost property, deal with disciplinary matters and contact you in relation to service provision development, representation and democracy (please see the Student Union’s fair processing statement below);

(c) to sponsors, to organisations providing or facilitating workplace research or studies forming part of your course, to professional bodies where courses are accredited, to present/potential employers;

(d) to suppliers of goods and services related to your studies, the provision of accommodation, communication facilities including but not limited to e-mail, drop boxes and cloud computing;

(e) to the University’s service providers for validation purposes if you elect to make on-line payments to the University (in such circumstances only limited information (date of birth and ID numbers) will be disclosed);

(f) to debt collection agencies acting on behalf of the University in the event that you owe money to the University which is not repaid within the appropriate timeframe;

(g) to: (i) former schools/colleges, (ii) local newspapers and on notice boards for the purposes of releasing respectively results or award details;

(h) on the University’s website for directory purposes. This means that your image, details and email address will be available worldwide, including in countries where the rights of data subjects are not protected by law.  If you wish, you may opt to have your address withheld by emailing directory@coventry.ac.uk.The University may hold information about you which constitutes ‘sensitive data’ as defined in the above Act, such as information about your ethnic group, relevant health records, the disability classification which you supply to the University and information about criminal offences and alleged criminal offences.  The ethnicity information supplied will be used to comply with the requirements of HESA and equal opportunities legislation.  Information on student admissions and progression will be publicly available; however, it will not be possible to identify individuals from this information, which will assist the University in ensuring equality of opportunity.  The disability information supplied will be shared with relevant staff of the University in order to provide you with the best possible support for your studies and assessments. Personal data concerning alleged offences/criminal offences may be disclosed to appropriate members of staff and the University’s governors, to other persons or organisation either with your consent or in accordance with the law or in relation to suitability for (i) student work placements or (ii) student study placements/exchanges or, whilst you are a student, for professional conduct purposes, (iii) to your country’s high commission, embassy or consulate, (iv) concerning your academic profess if you education is sponsored by your government or (v) in the event that there is serious concern about your welfare, such information as is reasonably necessary to help safeguard your wellbeing.

Parents and GuardiansKindly note the University will not release information about students to parents or guardians.

How we may contact youPlease note that the University may contact you by post or by electronic means including telephone, text messages, email (using your University email) or any other suitable electronic method. 

Students’ Union Statement – Data Protection Act 1998Coventry University Students' Union collects information about students in the normal course of its operations. This information is only used for business relevant to and in the interests of the Students' Union and its members. Students are entitled to access any information held on files within the Students' Union in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

Coventry University Students' Union may share information about students with Coventry University from time to time.

Enrolment at Coventry University indicates consent to the uses of personal data as described above.Can I opt out?The University required you to provide consent to process your personal data as described above. However, you may request that your personal data is not used for any or all of the following purposes:

(i) to inform you about further study opportunities;(ii) to provide Alumni services and to raise funds;(iii) for Coventry University’s (website) directory (see paragraph above)(iv) by Coventry University Students’ Union.

To opt out for any or all of the purposes (i) – (iv) please write to the Legal Services Information Compliance Officer, Coventry University.

Your Data Protection RightsUnder the Data Protection Act 1998 you have a number of rights. These include but are not limited to the right to:

1. make a data subject access enquiry and this includes being provided with a copy of your personal data held by the University. A small fee is payable;

2. apply to a court for the rectification, blocking, erasure or destruction of inaccurate personal data relating to you.

For more details concerning these and your other rights please refer to the Information Commissioner’s Office website: www.ico.org.uk

If you wish to make a data subject access enquiry of the University or you have a complaint concerning data protection issues other than IT related information security, please contact the Legal Service Information Compliance Officer, Coventry University. If you have any concerns relating to IT related information security, please contact the Service Improvement and Security Manager, Coventry University.

If you are not satisfied with the University’s proposed resolution of your complaint you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Officer whose contact details are:

Website: www.ico.org.ukTelephone: 030 123 1113Address: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Please note that this information is not part of the formal University Regulations. In case of conflict of interpretation, the formal regulations take precedence.

September 2014